Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Poker Challenge Turns to Twills

My weaving discussion group took on a challenge last year called Weaver's Poker. In our version of the game, we came up with options for five different attributes of a handwoven project: Structure, Yarn Fiber Type, Color, Color Relationship and Design Element. We drew cards from grab bags containing the five different aspects. Each person had the flexibility of discarding one of the attribute cards. Here's my hand: Color – Orange;

Even though we could throw out one of the attributes, I decided to use all of the cards. I selected 22/2 cottolin in Autumn red, Light Green and Aqua for the orange and the split complements - blue and green.

After thinking about M's and O's, I developed a three block design with the help of Fiberworks-PCW. The software allows you to draw a profile draft and then convert it to a threading. This design used three colors in the warp, each in a different blocks. Those colors (and blocks) would then be used in the weft to create the large checks. (The area between the black "threads" was repeated a total of three times.)

Weaver's Poker Challenge Drawdown

The warp was sett at 24 epi, two threads per dent in a 12 dent reed. The resulting fabric was a towel.

The color and texture of the final piece was nice but there was some puckering and draw in because of the M's and O's.

M's and O's Towel Detail

Based on that, I decided to just do the one towel in the M's and O's design. I rethread the warp to weave a turned twill instead. This design used a 3/1 twill versus a 1/3 twill. The 8-shaft design changed blocks when the warp color changed.

Turned Twill Drawdown

I wove three whole towels plus a half piece.

Turned Twill Towels

These towels were also sett at 24 epi. I think they could have been sett a bit more densely. They feel nice but perhaps slightly loose.

The blue weft towel was woven with eight picks of one block and twelve of the other. The green weft towels were woven with block changes that matched the color changes in the warp. It is kind of a plaid in texture. The third towel used all of the warp colors in the weft and changed blocks to match the warp.

Blue Weft

Green Weft

Three Colored Weft

It was an interesting challenge. I played around with colors I hadn't in the past. It also forced me to work on designing with M's and O's on 8 shafts and with blocks.

2 comments:

What an interesting project. Someone drew five cards for me and I looked forward to participating- and then we suddenly moved. I'll suggest that to my guild here. I think we would have fun with it too. I learned something from this though. The M and W pattern didn't lend itself to your plaid - I guess it doesn't play well with others.

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